Xia Xiu looked away from the screen, with a thoughtful look on his face.

He stood up, walked slowly to the clothes rack, picked up the hanging windbreaker, shook off the invisible dust, and put it on neatly.

Then, he put the top hat on his head, and his golden hair was slightly scattered under the brim.

He turned his palm over, held the silver cane with his slender fingers, and knocked on the ground casually, making a crisp sound.

"Adam, help me make an appointment with John K. Hanks, the second governor of the Federal Reserve Bank."

Virtual interfaces emerge in the air.

[Sending appointment request...]

[The other party has accepted——]

The prompt in blue font flashed quickly, and [Adam]'s mechanical voice calmly echoed in his ears.

[Already arranged!]

Xia Xiu nodded, seemingly satisfied with this efficiency.

He turned around, and the ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly, and a bright [∞] symbol slowly emerged from the void. The symbol rotated, blooming with dazzling light, and the surrounding space rippled like water.

As the ripples gradually spread, his figure began to become blurred, and finally disappeared without a trace in a wave of fluctuations.

In the empty office, the last glimmer of light before the corner of the windbreaker disappeared, like an afterimage passing by in the wind.

*

*

33 Liberty Street, Manhattan Financial District, New York.

The tall building where the Second Federal Savings Bank is located stands majestically, reflecting dazzling light in the sun.

In front of this building that symbolizes financial authority, the security system suddenly sounded a rapid alarm, and the [Red Stone Lamp] warning signal instantly lit up, dyeing the surrounding air red.

The federal police and paratroopers patrolling nearby quickly went on alert, drawing out their kinetic guns and aiming them at possible targets.

However, before they could take action, the think tank certification of [Hermes] calmly and quickly broadcast:

[Legal space shuttle behavior——]

[Confirm identity: The fourth sword-bearer in the Kingdom of Heaven-Hugh Abraham.]

Upon hearing this name, everyone's nerves immediately relaxed.

They looked at each other, then quickly put away their weapons, lowered their heads, arranged their clothes, and assumed a respectful posture.

When the bright [∞] symbol appeared in the open space outside the main entrance of the bank, the surrounding crowd stopped to watch, and saw a tall figure gradually emerging from the ripples.

The blond young man holding a silver cane casually but steadily stepped out of the center of the ripples. When the golden pupils of his eyes swept across the surrounding pedestrians, everyone lowered their heads involuntarily, with awe in their eyes.

Xia Xiu didn't show much emotion to the reactions of the people around him. He just nodded slightly and then walked towards the inside of the bank.

After walking a few steps, a woman wearing an exquisite business suit walked towards me. She was the female secretary of John K. Hanks, the Second Federal Reserve Governor.

She had a professional smile on her face, and she was obviously used to dealing with this heavyweight.

"Your Majesty, welcome to your arrival."

The female secretary bowed slightly and saluted, then raised her head and said:

"The president is already waiting for you, please come with me."

Xia Xiu nodded in greeting and followed her calmly.

The two of them walked all the way through the bright lobby, and the number of elevators gradually increased, finally stopping at the top floor.

The secretary skillfully opened Hanks' office door, and a warm greeting came out immediately.

"My friend, Abraham! How good it is to see you!"

John K. Hanks strode forward and reached out his hand to shake hands with Xia Xiu.

"Mr. Hanks."

Xia Xiu smiled slightly and shook Hanks' hand politely.

"Thank you for the reception. You still look in good spirits."

"How dare you not be energetic!"

Hanks smiled and waved his hands.

"With your presence in the Second Federal Reserve District, my work schedule here will be much faster."

The two let go of their hands, and John K. Hanks immediately made a gesture of invitation: "Come on, sit down and let's have a good chat. Your arrival can help me end today's meeting early - compared to those

Boring financial statements, talking to you makes me feel more relaxed and looking forward to it.”

Xia Xiu smiled noncommittally, said nothing, and sat down at the seat assigned by the other party.

His windbreaker lifted slightly with the movement, and then fell neatly on the back of the chair. He gently leaned the silver cane beside the chair, folded his hands, and looked at Hanks' face.

Hanks' secretary exited at the right time, leaving them alone in the room.

The quiet atmosphere is set off by the hustle and bustle of the city outside the window, showing a subtle contrast.

After sitting down, Hanks adjusted his posture slightly, obviously prepared for today's meeting.

The smile on his face deepened a little, and he said in a casual tone:

"Abraham, I saw the contents of your administration secretariat press conference this morning - I have to say that this document on the three houses is indeed wonderful and impressive. It proposes and attempts to solve the two core contradictions in Terra,

Such a concept is truly magnificent.”

He paused, and then asked casually:

"But... I wonder if you can reveal some details about the expansion plan of the three hospitals? For example, do you intend to occupy a place on the economic map of this world?"

When Xia Xiu heard this, the corner of his mouth raised a slight arc, which seemed to be a smile but not a smile.

He raised his head slightly, his eyes showing a bit of calm edge, but also gentle and unpredictable:

"Expansion... Mr. Hanks, these words are a bit alarmist.

The establishment of the Three Academies is to educate and cultivate talents. Our focus is on the progress and development of human civilization, rather than on grabbing some economic territory.

Do you really think that our ‘courtyard’ will pose a threat to the abnormal capital in this land?”

When Hanks heard these words, the smile on his face deepened slightly, but there was a hint of temptation hidden in his eyes:

"How could it be? Your Excellency is overthinking it.

I just think that an institution like the Third Academy, with such a grand vision, will surely touch upon many practical interests during its actual implementation.

As a friend, I naturally hope to provide you with some help as I can when you advance your plans."

The two looked at each other and smiled, and the atmosphere seemed a little more relaxed.

However, after the test, Xia Xiu's smile became a little more calm. He lightly knocked on the table in front of him, with a hint of unquestionable straightforwardness in his tone:

"Now that we have talked about this, let us open the skylight and speak openly.

I am here today to discuss several cooperation projects with you.

At the same time, I need you to introduce me to some of Terra’s abnormal capital—especially those giants that you must have connections with.”

Xia Xiu was not in a hurry to answer. He just smiled slightly, flipped his right hand, took out an exquisitely bound document from the abnormal space of [Private Customization], placed it casually on the table, and pushed it gently with his fingertips.

The document crossed the table and stopped in front of Hanks.

"Please take a look," Xia Xiu's tone was indifferent, but he could not refuse.

Hanks hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out and picked up the file.

His eyes lingered on the document cover for a moment

——"Post-Investigation Report on the Balrog Experiment Data and Marshall's Abnormal Item Review Plan provided by MC&D Company in the Ring of Naga".

Just the title made him frown slightly.

He opened the file and quickly browsed the contents. As his eyes moved, the smile on his face finally completely disappeared, replaced by a solemn look that was difficult to conceal.

Hanks slowly put down the document, raised his head, and looked directly at the blond young man in front of him.

His voice was lowered a bit, with a tentative caution:

"What are you...?"

Xia Xiu still maintained that faint smile, and his eyes revealed an unsettling determination.

He placed his folded hands on the table, and his tone was as relaxed as if he were discussing an ordinary matter:

"Don't get excited, I, and Heaven, don't want to compete with the entire abnormal capital circle just yet.

It's just that what you did... is indeed a bit out of line.

Certain behaviors that touch our bottom line are absolutely intolerable."

silence.

There was an invisible sense of oppression in the air. The second line manager, John K. Hanks, lowered his eyes slightly and tapped his fingers on the table, as if weighing something.
To be continued...